James Madison University will take a momentous step in its young,
vibrant and storied history when it inaugurates Jonathan R. Alger as its
sixth president on March 15, 2013.

Accessibility devices with captioning for those who are deaf or
hard of hearing will be available (limited). Captioning will also be
available on your smartphone by scanning the QR code to the right or
following this
link on your phone.

JMU’s award
winning debate team will present the two sides of ratification of the
Constitution. Basing their
arguments on correspondence, newspapers and pamphlets of the era, they will
recreate the tension surrounding the debate over whether or not the
Constitution should be ratified.

Our ancestors were
adept at decoding the sky to learn their position on the surface of the planet,
to tell the passage of time, and to learn when winter was approaching.

Today,
astrophysics is an academic enterprise in which we have learned our Universe is
filled with billions of galaxies, each of which can have more than billions of
stars. We are now learning that planets around these stars are common. Is the
discovery of life next? Join us for a special presentation at the John C. Wells
Planetarium to learn more about these discoveries, to learn more about how our
night-time sky has changed since the time of Madison, and to learn how you can
use the constellations to find your way around the night sky.

We will also
briefly discuss the current robotic exploration of the Solar System and what we
are learning as a result.

Celebrate the 262nd
birthday of the Father of the Constitution. Saturday, March 16 is James
Madison's birthday! To celebrate JMU will provide roundtrip transportation to Montpelier free of charge. Visit with Mr. and Mrs. Madison in their home throughout the
day.

Also, attend a poignant wreath presentation ceremony in the Madison Family
Cemetery at 1:30 p.m. that will also include President Alger.

Costs: There will be free admission to
the property. If you wish to tour the house, there will be a reduced fee of $7.50 a person.

You
may signup for and purchase box lunches, $15.24 each or you can bring
your own picnic lunch.

Approximate time
frame:Depart JMU on buses
at 8:00am, arrive at Montpelier at 10:00amTour the house, grounds
and have lunch, then attend the 1:30 ceremony and depart around 2:00pm

Participants are welcome to drive on their own to Montpelier. Please be sure to reserve your ticket for the tour of the home and order your boxed lunch. If you are planning to drive yourself, pleaseregister here.

Meet at the Forbes Center for the
Performing Arts at 11:00am to have a guided tour from students of JMU.
This tour is specifically designed to highlight resources on campus that
are available to the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County community.

This extraordinary event returns with
performances by JMU's Marimba Orchestra, Steel Band and Madison Singers, as
well as faculty guest artists. This concert features selections by Grammy Award
winner Bela Fleck, plus classical and ragtime style works, including a medley
of tunes from hit Broadway musicals, as well as an extended salute to the
world-renowned Carlos Santana.